Demystifying (but not de-mistyfing) chick incubators. -Advertisement- Believe it or not, incubation isn’t just an invention of the modern era. Historical records show that incubation of eggs was practiced in Ancient Egypt. Mud brick buildings, divided into chambers that were basically large ovens, were heated by burning straw, dung or charcoal. Temperature and ventilation were […]

Ascites in backyard chickens isn’t super common, but it’s possible you will come across this condition if you keep chickens. Ascites isn’t really an illness itself. Rather, it’s a symptom that something is wrong with your chicken. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, ascites is when fluid builds up in the peritoneal cavities of a […]

Animal-Assisted Therapy has come into its own in the last decade or so. Marissa Buchanan helps us understand how to start an AAT program with chickens. Response to the Cackle and Purr In the human body, there are all sorts of hormones floating around. Some of these hormones cause stress, while others induce relaxation. Some […]

In the winter months, as the weather turns colder, chicken keepers are forced to keep their birds shut indoors to protect them from adverse weather conditions. Confinement indoors can create conditions, triggering respiratory illness in poultry.   The respiratory systems of chickens are very sensitive to dust and ammonia, too much of either can bring […]

Impacted crop surgery on your chicken sounds scary, but it’s not impossible to perform this surgery. It’s inevitable if you have chickens that you are going to encounter crop issues at some time. The crop, located on the hen’s right side just beneath the skin, is a balloon-like pouch where everything they eat or drink […]

Thyme, oregano, a little vodka…not a recipe for pasta sauce, but herbal treatments from  Amy Fewell for chicken ailments such as bumblefoot, external parasites, and respiratory ailments. Poultry body language can help you recognize the first signs of sickness, and to help them prevent issues from arising. Prevention is key when it comes to keeping […]

  Free-ranging is all the rage. You see it advertised in the grocery store for both meat and eggs and it something people who buy my eggs ask me about a lot. No one wants their food coming from a chicken who has been locked up all of their life, but free-ranging your flock comes […]

Do’s and Don’t for buying chicks from local breeders from blogger Kaylee Vaughn. Check out Part 2 Buying from Professional Hatcheries and Part 3 Buying from Feed Stores as well.    You’ve decided to purchase your first chicks! Or, maybe, you are adding some new chicks to your existing flock! Either way, it’s an exciting […]

When winter comes around, both new and experienced homesteaders wonder how they can keep their livestock and fowl warm. This issue is primarily a concern for those who have smaller animals, like chickens. There are several ways to protect these animals from the cold, but many owners ask if they should provide a direct heat […]

To heat or not, predator protection, managing molting, and other alliterative ways to prep your poultry for winter from Elizabeth Mack. Winter is here—if an arctic blast hasn’t surprised you already! While chickens are quite hardy, they do need some special cold-weather management, depending on your location and breed of chicken. Taking a few steps […]